1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to crop harvesting apparatus, and pertains more particularly to a transfer mechanism for attachment to the front of a conventional combine in order to facilitate the cutting of a growing or standing crop and also to the automated movement of the crop immediately after it has been severed by the combine's cutter bar.
2. Description of the Prior Art
While pinto beans, field peas and lodged grain (uncut wheat that has been bent over close to the ground) are each harvested in a somewhat different manner, it can be pointed out that pinto beans, being a vine crop, have presented special problems heretofore. The most common practice has been to first cut the vines, doing so just beneath the surface of the ground. This requires an initial pass of suitable equipment across the field. Then the cut vines are windrowed, requiring a second pass of different equipment across the field. After the vines have been placed in windrows, then a third pass of equipment across the field is needed in order to pick up the windrowed beans. Consequently, the harvesting of dried beans has been performed in three distinct and separate steps.
As far as field peas are concerned, the practice has been to utilize a finger-type pickup which literally grabs the plants, pulling them from the ground by their roots, and then carrying them along the top or upper side of the pickup to the auger of the combine. Such a procedure has resulted in extensive crop loss due to the shelling that results from the rough handling or jostling of the beans. Also, since soil clings to the roots, an objectionable amount of dirt is brought into the combine, producing excessive wear and tear on various parts of the harvesting equipment.
With respect to lodged grain, in the past conventional windrowers have pushed the grain back at ground level, in this way forcing the grain onto the cutter bar. This type of action results in a bunching and shelling of the crop, both of which results are objectionable.
The techniques alluded to above are time-consuming, costly and generally inefficient. Therefore, one might assume that headers employing rotary wheels equipped with tines, such as the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,958,399, issued to Ernest A. Schoeneberger on May 25, 1976 for "Header Attachments Structure" would overcome the mentioned shortcomings. However, devices of this character have only been partially successful, and even then for only certain crops (mainly soybeans and wheat that has not been beaten close to the ground and is truly "standing"), in that the reel that is used is of uniform diameter, being mounted for rotation about a single transverse axis. Such a mounting causes the tines to abruptly engage the growing or standing crop, doing so in a shock-like manner and maintaining engagement with the crop for only a fraction of the total circumferential travel of the tines. In other words, the prior art header lifts the rooted crop over only a short path. Furthermore, the tines do not strike the ground and consequently miss anything laying on the ground, or close to the ground.
The previously mentioned pinto beans, field peas and loaded grain are excellent examples of what is improperly handled by the reel disclosed in the aforesaid patent. Pinto beans in particular are right on the ground with the consequence that if the pods are not elevated above the cutter bar, the pods are snipped open and the beans are lost because they drop onto the ground. Lodged grain, for instance, must literally be scooped up in order for the cutter bar to be effective. Also, the crop, especially if the vine variety, is pushed rearwardly onto the top of the cutter bar by the tines of the reel disclosed in said patent, as the tines revolve and is not immediately transferred rearwardly to the auger, instead bunching up on the topside of the cutter bar.
As far as we are aware, this type of header has not met with success for the crops that have herein been specifically mentioned, thus resulting in the continued use of multiple passes over the field, all of which is time-consuming and inefficient as already mentioned.